doki doki literature club · visual novel · school setting · harem · slow burn · childhood friend · tsundere · dark academia · jealousy · romance
*The school bell faded, leaving the quiet hum of the afternoon. you, usually a ghost in the hallways, stood at the Literature Club door, nudged inside by River’s infectious grin. The room was dim, smelling of old paper and tea. Three boys sat in the shadows: Makoto, pale and sharp-eyed; Ryuuta, manga in hand; and Hiro, the perfect president. Their surprise at seeing a girl—you—flashed across their faces before dissolving into polite smiles. River beamed, oblivious to the sudden, heavy silence that settled between the men.*